Non emptying of recycling bins

[Chase Dulwit]

Got home about 14:30 today and the blue recycling bins had been dragged onto the pavements for as far as I could see (Clockhouse end of Barry Rd), presumably by the advance bin men ready or the lorry to follow. Just went to put some recycling in a bin (20:30)and they are all still on the pavements, full! In fact none of the wheelie bins have been emptied, and to add insult to injury my green one has disappeared completely.

I've had to move some back as they were literally resting against parked cars.

Did anyone see the bin lorry, break-down, or something?

[DulwichFox]

since the new scheme started it has been a distaster.

Never know where your bin will end up.

much of the paper waste ends up in the road.

we separate everything nd it all goes in the same cartall mixed up again. paper glass plastic cans.

why should we bother.

oh yes, we get fined if we mess up.

fox

[Penguin68]

I must say that in Underhill the scheme has worked fine (in so far as the right bins have been collected on the right day) and the operatives are cheeful, helpful and tidy.

Overall I am not sure it is the best scheme - but the guys (Veola) are doing what it says on the can for us. Sorry that others haven't been so lucky with their crews/ equipment. Ours seem punctillious about returning bins - I went out to collect mine from the road and the operative insisted on wheeling it back onto my property for me.

The new deal was always a mixed dry recylable collection, with sorting at the centre - so separating things out isn't necessary. There is no need or requirement to 'bother' with your own separation. And thus you wouldn't get fined for combining recylable material.

[Chase Dulwit]

Penguin68 you are obviously very lucky with your crew. Have a look at what I posted about ours a little while ago

Click here

[Tom Smith]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> since the new scheme started it has been a

> distaster.

> Never know where your bin will end up.

>

> much of the paper waste ends up in the road.

>

> we separate everything nd it all goes in the same

> cartall mixed up again. paper glass plastic cans.

> why should we bother.

>

> oh yes, we get fined if we mess up.

>

> fox

I don't think you need to separate things under the new scheme.

[Penguin68]

There appears to be two types of problem (outwith issues about the underlying system being implemented) being reported (on this thread and others) - failure to collect at all (possibly associated with non-availability of either crews or equipment) and 'poor quality' collection (bins left haphazardly, rubbish strewn about etc.) The remedies for these are very different - back-up crews or equipment available - (with on-costs associated with that) and training - probably for specific crews since the reporting of poor quality is by no means uniform, and I certainly haven't experienced it.

Additionally there have been suggestions that a response to the reporting of an entire road being missed out has been to set up a special collection just for the reporter.

If readers (councillors etc.) of this forum are to make use of what we are reporting, it would be helpful if people could indicate broadly what type of problem and where - and equally perhaps, as I have done, where the process is working as planned. It would thus be possible to build up a picture of pattern and scale.

Of course, threads don't have to have utility or value, but sometimes it would be nice if they did.

[tarafitness]

we had a nightmare over Christmas and the new year - our recycling bins weren't collected at all and we had to store excess in our house and even resort to using our neighbours' blue bin as their is no-one there using it. Really fed up with the whole thing, feels like a lottery when it comes to it being emptied and hardly encourages people to recycle?!

[bil]

We had a similar experience over Christmas. completely agree with Penguin68 and tarafitness.

[2degreesfrommadness]

When they implemented the new scheme , we had a leaflet delivered outlining the new collection arrangements: brown bins for food and garden waste to be collected weekly; then the blue and green bins emptied on alternate weeks. Hope this helps.

We too have problems with storage of recyclable waste, but the leaflet does say contact the council if you are having problems.

[treehugger]

I think the issue in Barry road was that the blue bins were pulled out in error by the first crew. The Brown bin was emptied (as it is every week) and so was the green (done fortnightly). It seems that somebody thought another lorry was coming round for the blue bins, but it didn't come, as it wasn't scheduled.

Apart from this hiccup, we have not had any problems in Barry rd.

[lilolil]

it wasn't a blue bin week. blue bins have been pulled out Underhill Road end of Hindmans Road too and are in the road.

[cosmonaut]

On the contrary, our blue bins were emptied so thoroughly today that even the bins themselves are gone now. Well done, recycling team. I so look forward to getting to call the council to request new bins and having nowhere to put my recycling in the meantime.

[Twirly]

lilolil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> it wasn't a blue bin week. blue bins have been

> pulled out Underhill Road end of Hindmans Road too

> and are in the road.

That's odd, as I'm on Oakhurst and it was a blue bin week for us and they were emptied yesterday. I thought that they were going to be emptied last week, but they weren't - just pulled out and left on the pavement. Thankfully they were emptied this week as they were completely full.

Have to admit that I can never remember which week is a green and which a blue bin week, so just try and get everything out on a Monday night/Tuesday morning to cover any eventuality...

[lilolil]

our green bin was emptied yesterday..... Maybe someone somewhere has got confused! we just keep filling up those bins. Mind you, I don't think that the fortnightly collection of the blue bins is enough.Perhaps they might have a rethink and collect weekly?

[the-e-dealer]

There are no

fines

[PeckhamRose]

All our bins and big bins were emptied yesterday. It may have something to do with the big brand new state of the art facility at Old Kent Road, and needing to retime things. But everything's gone from around where I live. In future though if any of you have issues re this or other council environment problems email [email protected] or call 020 7525 2000 but I can't remember which option you have to press so work it out!

[Sue]

My small brown bin wasn't emptied for the second week running yesterday.

I only have a small green bag of food waste each week, but if the brown bin isn't emptied next week either then it will be full.

But I'm losing the will to live with keep contacting the council re recycling issues (apologies for grammar) :))

[goldsmik]

cosmonaut, I think the bins may have been taken because you will no longer have recycling picked up at all. I have been told by the council that is why our bins have been removed - we are now only down for waste removal. I find this absolutely appalling - I cannot remember a time when I haven't been able to recycle. If anyone else feels this way, I hope they will complain - but I am not sure who to complain to. When I asked the person at the council, they said they were the first point of contact and someone would get in touch about reinstating the recycling at our block of flats - I have been waiting a week so far and haven't heard anything. Do people reckon I should write to our councillor?

[peterstorm1985]

goldsmik, I've always found it best to email Southwark rather than speak to someone by phone. [email protected] If you don't get a reply in 2-3 days, forward the email again pointing out that you're still waiting for a reply. Communicating in writing tends to make them more responsive. I've had a lot of 'forgotten' telephone calls but emails don't get ignored for long.

[Sue]

The problem with reporting an issue via their website, also, is that there is no provision to make comments.

So I couldn't say "my brown box hasn't been emptied for two weeks" - I was only able to report the last non-emptying.

(It was emptied as a result, however, and was emptied on time this week).

[muppet]

Our bin collections (Hillcourt Road) have been really good, to the point that if we forget to put the right bin on the street they will come into the front garden and collect it and then return it. No mess and always collected (although they did get out of sync at Christmas). I've been really impressed by them.

[bil]

my experience is that the service has really deteriorated in the last few months..

[annabel42]

Couldn 't agree more. I seem to remember reading that one Council -Lewisham I think - has changed contractor. Perhaps Southwark should do the same?

[goldsmik]

I should let all of you know that the council (Veolia I think, actually) did get back to me without any further effort on my part. They had apparently been trying to get in touch with the company who manages the flat to see about putting in communal bins. I got the number for them and apparently this will go ahead. Although I may be back on here later complaining that they aren't emptied, by the looks of things....

[calculus]

Weird behaviour by the recycling folk today at my place. They emptied my large blue bin then put my additional recycling (small blue bin, extra bag full and extra box full) into my empty garden recycling bin and left it! What's that about?